The Fourth Hero
by Eliyora
Summary: Fable 2 x-over. Atemu is a Bowerstone beggar boy who is about to embark on the journey of an eternity. I caution, this is not a children's fable. Rating WILL go up.


"The Fourth Hero"

Chapter One

"Beginnings"

It was a very cold day. Well, naturally. It was the dead of winter, and he was on the street, with nothing but a fire in a tin barrel to keep him warm. It truly sucked to be himself right then, but there was no one else he could be, so he was stuck. His life hadn't always been this way. He'd never exactly been a rich child, but he'd had a family once. His father and mother struggled every day to earn enough gold coins to buy food and rent the small, drafty room that had been their home back then. They worked themselves night and day to support him and his sister, Mai. It was a hard life, even for a child, but they had all loved each other so dearly that it was bearable.

Then his father fell ill.

The strain of working himself to the bone all day, every day, not eating properly, and their poor living conditions eventually took their toll, and his father became sick. Without the income of both parents, they had been unable to keep their rented room, and the heartless landlord threw them onto the streets. Without even a roof to sleep under at night, the illness overcame him and took his life. Their mother became distraught and almost insane with grief over the loss of her husband. Though young, Mai, his elder sister, began taking odd jobs around the city to buy them food since their mother was no longer in any condition to work. In the end, though, it was futile. Their heartbroken mother wandered away one night while her children slept, and the next morning her broken body was found near a cliff that stood just outside of the city. Whether she had jumped or simply fallen was never determined and irrelevant. Now the two siblings were alone, orphaned and on the cold streets in a city full of even colder people who would not help two beggared children.

He felt something drop onto his head while he was remembering this. Reaching up to feel, he realized it was...

"Oh YUCK!!! Bird mess!!" he yelled.

"Eeewwww!!" Mai agreed as she watched her brother frantically wipe at his head. "Well, I hear that's lucky. Like finding a four-leaf clover."

"I'd rather have the clover!" he replied, wiping his hands on his trousers.

"I agree, but you never know, Atemu. I'd say a little luck comes in handy out here," Mai replied, smiling. Atemu laughed a little. He and Mai had stuck together ever since their parents had passed. After all, they were all each other had left in the world, which was a very sad thing to say when you were only 9 years old.

Mai sighed suddenly. Atemu saw she was looking at Castle Crawford again. She had always been a dreamer, and her favorite thing to dream about was life in that beautiful castle that Lord Pegasus inhabited.

"He's probably having roast duck at this time of year," Mai muttered longingly.

"Yeah, but he's all alone in that castle now, every since Lady Cynthia died," Atemu reminded her.

"Yeah. He must be so lonely," Mai said sadly, obviously thinking of their parents. She sighed, and opened her mouth to say something else, but a loud commotion from down the street caught both of their attention. "What's all that racket?"

"Let's go see," Atemu said. The two hurried out of the little alley that was their shelter, and sprinted towards the source of all the noise. They were a little disappointed to find that it was only a travelling peddler.

"Feast your eyes on these products, ladies and gentlemen! All over the world I have travelled to gather these mystical, magical items, which I now offer you for the modest price of only five gold!" the peddler said loudly. Atemu rolled his eyes. He'd seen his kind before. He was most likely selling mere junk, but trying to pass it off as magic would fetch a higher price. Sleazy scums, those type of peddlers.

"Feast your eyes upon this," the peddler said. With a dramatic flair, he pulled a cloth off of a dingy mirror. "A magical mirror. It is truly a marvel, for as long as you look into it, it will make you beautiful!"

"I'll take it!" some fool in the crowd called.

"Excellent choice, sir," the peddler said. "Now remember, the magic only works in complete darkness."

"Rubbish," Mai muttered. "I'll bet that's just an old mirror he's sick of or something." Atemu nodded in agreement as the peddler moved on to his next item.

"Now witness this marvel," he said, revealing a small, gold colored box that seemed to be filled with puzzle pieces. "This is a wondrous magical item from the Old Kingdom. Simply assemble this magical puzzle and it will grant you one wish."

"Oh what nonsense," Mai said. She was apparently fed up, for she turned to go. "There's no such thing as magic."

"We live in grim times indeed if the young are too world-weary to believe in magic," came a smooth, feminine voice from next to them. Startled, both children turned to see a darkly tanned woman dressed in a white dress and a matching hooded cloak. She smiled mysteriously at them, turning to face them with a soul-piercing blue gaze. "Most children your age happily believe."

Mai shook her head. "Look Miss, if you believe, then fine, but I'm telling you, that puzzle is rubbish!"

The woman smiled wider. "That's what the peddler thinks. He has no idea what he's stumbled upon, but you have an inkling, don't you young Mai? You and your brother Atemu can feel it within your hearts, the power that radiates from those pieces."

"Ho-how did you know our names?" Mai asked.

She just continued smiling.

Atemu now nervously spoke up. "Do you... do you really think it could be magic?" he asked. Mai turned to him, surprised that he would even ask such a question.

"For five gold coins, you could have your answer," the woman said, turning and walking away.

"For five gold coins, we could eat for a week," Mai retorted. The woman paused.

"Listen to me, young Mai. At the end of that week, you and your brother will be no closer to your dream, no closer to that beautiful castle," she said. She then disappeared down the alley.

Mai stared after her in disbelief for several moments, then turned to Atemu. "What if.... she's right? What if that puzzle really is magic?"

"I guess we should get some gold coins and find out," Atemu said.

Mai nodded. "Work slows down in winter, but there's bound to be someone around who'll pay us to do something or other. Let's look!"

_LINEDESTINYLINE_

Two hours later, the two had found nothing. They asked nearly everyone they saw, but no one had any jobs that needed doing that a child could handle. Frustrated, they sat down near the guard's outpost.

"This is ridiculous. Just because we're kids doesn't mean we can't work! Why is it so much harder to find jobs in winter?" Mai complained.

"Because the people are too busy trying to stay warm in their houses to bother with such things," Atemu griped.

"So there's nothing?" Mai yelled.

"Nothing of what?" asked a nearby guardsman.

Mai jumped at the sound of his voice, but relaxed when she saw who it was. They knew this guardsman. His name was Honda, and he was one of the nicer folks in Bowerstone. On truly cold nights, he would sometimes let them sleep in his home, but he could not do this often because his mother, whom he was taking care of in her old age, complained about "raggedy beggars who loused her carpets" when he did.

"Hello Honda. Don't mind us. We're trying to find some work," Mai said.

"Really? Well, maybe I can be of some help," Honda said.

Mai jumped to her feet immediately. "Really? What do you want us to do?"

Honda cleared his throat. "Well, you see, I'm in a bit of trouble. I had a bunch of arrest warrants that I was going to deliver to Lord Pegasus, but a sharp wind blew them all out of my hands. It happened down by that alley, near the fellow with the picture box." He pointed at a ragged man who was fiddling with a device that Atemu had never seen.

"They're probably all over the place by now, and I can't leave my post to go looking for them," Honda continued. "I'm willing to pay you if you'll gather all five of them them up for me."

"How much?" Mai asked.

"How does three gold sound to you?" Honda replied.

"Fantastic!" Mai said joyously. "Don't worry, we'll find them for you, even if it takes all night!" She grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him towards the man with the odd device.

"It won't be enough, sis," Atemu said.

"I know, but it's more than half! Come on, let's find something else. We can look for the warrants at the same time," Mai replied.

"Hmm... what to do...."

The children looked up to see that odd man with that weird thing. They had come within hearing range while they'd been talking. Curious, Atemu went over to the fellow and asked, "Is something wrong?"

The man looked down at the curious boy, and his eyes lit up. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to do a man a favor, would you?" he asked.

Mai stepped forward. "Depends on the favor," she growled warningly.

The man laughed. "Oh goodness, it's nothing like that, my dear. I just wished for some help with my picto box."

"Help with the... what?" Mai asked.

"Oh excuse me. I should introduce myself." The man bowed. "My name is Otoogi, and I'm something of an entrepreneur. This picto box is the first step. See, it can create an excellent likeness of someone in an instant, but I need proof that it works, so I need someone to pose for it, you see. That's where you come in. Would you like to pose for the picture?"

"We'll do it for a gold piece," Mai answered immediately.

Otoogi considered this. "Well, I've only got one gold left... but I suppose that's alright. Better to invest now. Then the gold will start pouring in before I know it. Alright, little lady, you've got a deal. Just stand over there with your brother on that stage there, and strike a pose."

Mai and Atemu climbed onto the makeshift stage that Otoogi had set up. Mai struck a very girly pose, and Atemu decided to keep it simple with a thumbs-up. A small flash blinked before their eyes, and Otoogi stood up from behind the pitco box, grinning like a fool.

"Excellent! That was a great shot! Now I just have to wait a night for the picture to develop, and then I can start showing it around! Oh, I can just smell the gold!" he said cheerfully.

"Speaking of gold," Mai hinted.

"Oh, right. A deal's a deal," Otoogi said. He fished a single gold coin out of his pocket and pressed it into Mai's hand. "Thank you both so much! Once my business takes off, I'll find you so that I can thank you properly!" Mai and Atemu smiled and headed down the nearby alley.

"He was a nice guy, wasn't he?" Mai said.

"Yeah," Atemu agreed. "I hope he does good with that picture-thing."

"Come on, leave it alone!" a girl's voice came from further down the alley. Atemu and Mai hurried down to the back street that the alley lead to and saw a thuggish boy swinging a wooden sword at a young puppy. A bunch of other little kids were trying to make him stop.

"Isn't that Ushio?" Atemu asked.

"Yeah! That big jerk!" Mai said.

"Who said that?" Ushio said, looking up. "Oh, it's only you. You want something?"

"Yeah, for you to stop what you're doing!" Mai said hurrying over to the boy. "Leave that poor dog alone!"

"Who's gonna make me?" Ushio demanded. He then proceeded to punch Mai in the head, knocking her down.

"Mai!" Atemu hurried over to her.

"Hey! He just hit a girl!" one of the kids said.

Ushio smirked. "Yeah, and now I'm gonna hit her little brother!" he mocked.

Atemu pulled out his own wooden sword and blocked just as Ushio swung down at him. This wasn't the first time he and Mai had run into this cretin. He liked bullying anything and anyone, and he and Mai were the only ones who would stand up to him. Because of this, he knew just what to do. Swinging his sword, he hit Ushio's side, and then thrust it so that he hit his stomach. Ushio doubled over. His mid-section was rather vulnerable.

"Hey! Leave me alone you nutter!" he whined, crawling away.

Mai sat up as Ushio slunk down the alley. "Ugh! He socked me right in the head! Stupid brute!" A small whine caught their attentions. The puppy Ushio had been bullying was cowering against the wall. It was a brown, fluffy creature, but under its fur, you could see that it wasn't getting enough to eat.

"Hello, doggie," Atemu said, reaching a hand out to the frightened animal. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you."

The dog tentatively sniffed Atemu's hand, then gave it a small lick. Atemu giggled at the ticklish sensation, and the sound seemed to encourage the dog, for it continued licking him. After a minute, it crawled over to Atemu's lap and nuzzled him. It had taken a liking to its protector.

Mai saw the look in Atemu's eye, however. "Atemu, you know we can't keep him. We don't even have enough to feed ourselves."

Atemu saddened. "I know, but I really like him. He's so cute and sweet! He must have lost his mom and dad, just like we did."

"Atemu..."

"I wanna name him..... Kuriboh!" Atemu decided. The puppy seemed to like the name, for it gave a happy yip.

"Atemu, no," Mai pleaded. "I'd love to keep him to, but we just can't!" She petted the puppy. "I'm sorry, but we just can't keep you. I'm really sorry." She then pulled Atemu to his feet. "Come on, we've still gotta find those warrants."

Atemu looked at the puppy sadly. "Bye Kuriboh," he said. The puppy whimpered at their departure.

"Look! A warrant!" Mai said, pointing at the ground ahead of them. Sure enough, a sheet of paper was laying innocently on the ground. Atemu picked it up, and handed it to Mai. "Well, that's one. Four more to go!"

They headed down the street towards the cemetery, finding two more warrants along the way. As the road lead to an area in front of a warehouse and a few houses, their ears picked up on a argument happening nearby. They headed towards the source of the noise, and found a couple that they had never met before. The woman was yelling at a man who was wobbling as though he'd had a few too many, and from what they were able to decipher of his slurred speech, he was looking for more. They decided to turn and go, but the man spotted them.

"Ah, look Betty. Two shets of twins!" he slurred at his wife. "Hey kids, do you think you could help a man out?"

They started to turn around, but his wife, Betty apparently, said, "Don't listen kids! He's just looking for more alcohol!"

"Ah, let them deshide for themshelves," the drunk slurred again. "Lishten kids. There's a man down that alley there named Pete. He's shtolen my booze. I need it back!"

"Ugh, just listen to him! Does it sound like he needs more?" Betty asked sarcastically.

"Pleashe kids! I'll do anyshing," he begged.

Mai hesitated, then asked, "Will you give us a gold piece if we do?"

"Deal," the drunk responded instantly.

"No children!" Betty exclaimed. She sighed, then continued, "Alright, look, if it's come to that, I'll pay you a gold piece to keep it out of his hands."

Mai sighed, and replied, "We'll get the bottle. Don't worry. Let's go Atemu." She hurried him away from the pair.

Atemu shuddered. "That guy reeked of ale."

"Tell me about it," Mai said. "Oh well. Let's find that Pete guy."

They wandered around for a bit before locating the alley that the drunk spoke of. Just from the end of it, they could hear snoring. Tiptoeing in, they spotted a man sound asleep on a raggedy piece of cloth that may have once been a blanket, and sitting next to him was a bottle with a bit of paper stuffed into the top of it to act as a stopper. Realizing that this must be Pete, Atemu, who was the stealthier of the pair, snuck up, grabbed the bottle, then turned and hurried back out of the alley with Mai right behind him. Pausing just outside of the alley to make sure they hadn't woken the man, they made their way back to Betty and her husband.

"Hey, the quadruplets are back!" the drunk slurred upon spotting them. "They've got booze, I can smell it! Well, kids, give it here!"

"Oh really, that's quite enough," Betty said. "Give it to me, so I can keep it out of his hands."

Mai looked a little tossed up about it, so Atemu made the decision. He handed the bottle right to Betty, much to her husband's dismay.

"Thank you," she said. "Here's your gold piece." As soon as she went to grab the bottle, she saw the paper in it. Pulling it out, she handed it to them asking, "Is this yours?"

It was a warrant. Mai grabbed it, saying, "Yes Ma'am. Thank you." They left, gold piece in hand, and listening to a new argument begin between the couple. "I wonder how it is people like them can stay together?"

Atemu shrugged. Then a small whine near his ankles made him look down. It was the puppy again, and he was holding something in his mouth. He offered it up to Atemu. "Hey Mai! Kuriboh found the last warrant!"

Mai snatched the paper from him, and sure enough, it was the warrant. She kneeled down, petting the dog. "Good boy!! Thank you for finding it for us." Kuriboh looked at her with pleading eyes. "Oh no, I know. You're sweet, and you're smart too, but I already told you, we can't keep you." Mai stood up. "Come on Atemu. Let's get these back to Honda. Once we get our gold, we can buy that puzzle."

"I hope we can solve it," he said as they headed back to the outpost.

"What are you talking about?" Mai asked. "You are a puzzle master! Every time you find one, you put it right together in a few minutes! This won't be any different!" They walked in silence to Honda, trying desperately to not acknowledge the puppy that was still trailing them.

"Ah, you've found them!" Honda said when they reached him. "Well done, kids! This'll really help me to clean this town up once and for all!"

"As glad as we are to help, Honda, you did promise us something," Mai reminded him.

"Yes, yes, I remember." Honda smiled. "You are always directly to the point. Here's your gold pieces." He handed them three gold coins. "Now then, you two take care, alright? If you need a place to sleep, you know where I live." They nodded and hurried off. Five gold!!! They had five whole gold pieces!! They could buy the puzzle now!

After they purchased the puzzle, they made their way back to the alley where they slept, and Atemu set to work on assembling the complicated pieces. It took him until nightfall, but at last there was only one piece left to put in, the central piece of it which had an eye carved onto it.

"This is it, brother! Let's make our wish!" Mai exclaimed. Atemu nodded excitedly and placed the last piece into its designated spot, wishing at the same time for himself, Mai, and Kuriboh, whom they had decided could stay with them after all, could all live together in the castle with Lord Pegasus. As soon as the piece was in place, the puzzle lit up and levitated out of Atemu's hands. It glowed blindingly for a few moments, then it disappeared altogether, right before their eyes.

"Wh-what? That's it? Where'd it go? Why didn't it take us with it?" Mai cried. Atemu felt numb. All of that, everything they had done, and it all came to nothing? That was so unfair! It wasn't enough that they had lost their parents, but now they had to lose their hopes as well?

"Let's just go to bed," Atemu spat bitterly.

"Yeah," Mai growled as they headed for the little makeshift beds in the warmest part of the alley. "I can't believe it. I was so sure that this was it, that we wouldn't be stuck in Old Bowerstone anymore!" While she ranted, Atemu pulled Kuriboh next to him, and he curled up and went to sleep.

_LINEDESTINYLINE_

"Easy, easy there little fella. I'm not going to hurt you."

The sound of Honda's voice awoke the sleeping siblings. They saw their friend standing a little distance back, so as not to aggravate the frightened puppy any further. When he noticed they were awake, Honda smiled. "Hello kids. I don't suppose you would mind calming you little friend down, would you? I don't want to get bitten."

Atemu pulled Kuriboh to himself, petting and shushing the puppy.

"Ah, that's better. Thanks," Honda said.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Mai asked.

Honda laughed a little. "Well, Lord Pegasus wants to see you two. I'm here to bring you to the castle that you love to dream about." That woke them up quite thoroughly. The puzzle had worked after all! Lord Pegasus was having them brought to the castle!

"Okay, sure! Let's go!" Mai said. She turned to Atemu. "Atemu, leave Kuriboh here for now. We'll come back for him in the morning."

Atemu nodded and put Kuriboh down. "Don't worry, friend. We'll be back for you, I promise!" Kuriboh seemed to understand, for he lay down on the ground and stayed there while they hurried after Honda. It took a couple of hours, but they finally reached the beautiful castle. They were greeted at the door by a butler.

"Here they are, Sir Jeeves. The children Lord Pegasus asked for," Honda announced.

"Ah, excellent. Thank you Sheriff Honda," Jeeves said.

"Sheriff?" Mai asked.

Honda blushed. "Yeah, and I owe it to you two. Lord Pegasus promoted me when I gave him the warrants." He grinned. "I won't forget how you helped me. Take care you two!" Then he turned and was gone.

"Now then, if you'll follow me," Jeeves said. He lead them down the long hallway.

"This castle is so beautiful," Mai commented. "We look up at it every day, but the inside is even more beautiful."

Jeeves smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

"Where's the grand dining hall?" Mai asked.

"It's in the west wing," Jeeves answered. "Lord Pegasus hasn't been in there since.... well, since the tragic death of his wife, Lady Cynthia."

"Oh, yes, we heard," Atemu said sadly. "It's hard to lose someone you love."

"Yes. Lord Pegasus hasn't quite recovered from the loss yet," Jeeves replied.

Mai paused, then asked, "Well, then, where does he eat?"

"The Master takes most of his meals in his study," Jeeves answered. "He spends most of his time in there, researching the Old Kingdom."

"There was a peddler in town today selling things from the Old Kingdom," Mai said.

"Ah, yes, I believe the Master heard of that," the man replied.

"We bought a piece of it, and we made a wish, and now we're here," Atemu added.

Jeeves nodded, and stopped in front of a large door. "Now then, there are a few things you must remember. First, show respect. Address him as Sir Pegasus, or Lord Pegasus. Second, do not speak unless spoken to. And most importantly, do not mention Lady Cynthia." He opened the door and said into it, "Lord Pegasus, the children are here to see you."

"Ah, good. Send them in," came an aristocratic voice. The children walked into the room, feeling a little awkward to be directly in front of Lord Pegasus in their rags. Pegasus, however, didn't seem to mind it, and just spoke to them, "Hello children. It has come to my attention that you acquired an interesting puzzle of sorts."

"U-um, yes Lord Pegasus," Mai stuttered. "We bought it off of a peddler."

"I see. May I see it?" Pegasus asked.

"We don't have it anymore, milord," Mai explained. "We made a wish on it, and it lit up and vanished."

"Hmm..." Pegasus said. He smiled gently at them. "The puzzle is of no great interest to me. What is remarkable is that you were able to assemble and activate it. What did you wish for?"

"Uuummm..." Mai said.

Pegasus laughed a little. "Go on."

"We... we wished to live in a castle," Mai answered after a moment.

Pegasus laughed again. "I believe that can be arranged. You see, I am currently working on..." he began. "Well, I'm working on something wonderful, which requires people with specific talents. Let us see if you have those talents. Would you kindly step onto the circle there?" He gestured to a large circular emblem carved onto the floor. When the children hesitated, Pegasus smiled warmly at them and said, "Don't be afraid. I promise, it won't hurt you."

The siblings slowly made their way onto the circle, and once they stepped on it, it lit up, surrounding them with a soft blue light. They looked around in wonder, and Pegasus smiled in satisfaction. "It's true. Your blood. You are Heroes," he said.

"Heros? Like in the old stories?" Mai asked.

Pegasus nodded, then lifted his hand to touch the circle of light around them. However, the second his hand touched it, the light turned a harsh red. He pulled his hand back, saying to himself, "What are you?" He hurried over to his desk and began frantically reading through a book laying on it.

"Sir? Wh-what's going on? What's that light?" Mai asked.

"No. No, no! You are Heroes, but you're not one of the three. One of you is the fourth," Pegasus whispered just loud enough to be heard.

"Lord Pegasus? What's happening?" Mai asked, fear quivering in her voice.

"I didn't want this. I didn't want this at all," Pegasus whispered again as he pulled out a gun. Regret shining in his eyes, he aimed it at Mai. "Forgive me."

"Lord Pegasus! What are you doing?! No, DON'T! NOOOO!!!" Mai screamed.

He pulled the trigger, and Mai fell. Pegasus then aimed the gun at Atemu.

"I can't allow you to live either," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry."

He pulled the trigger again.

_LINEDESTINYLINE_

Eliyora: Hello all! Decided it was time for more Yu-Gi-Oh goodness. This time I got hit by an idea while playing Fable 2, so naturally, that's what I used.

Yami: This chapter is just like the childhood part of the game.

Eliyora: I know, but the chapters will get more original when we get to the real meat of the story.

Yami: The real meat being?

Eliyora: After the Hero's power awakens. All before that point it just a prelude.

Yugi: You're just being lazy.

Eliyora: Am not! Hell, I was up until 6am writing this chapter out!'

Yami: Re-writing used material. Lazy.

Eliyora: Let's see either of you come up with a story then, if all you're going to do is bitch about mine!!!

Yami and Yugi: (silence)

Eliyora: That's what I thought!! Now then, as they were so kind to point out, anyone who has played Fable 2 is going to recognize this chapter, and most of the next. I simply couldn't think of a better way to open the story. Don't worry, though. Once we're past that part, the story will be much more out of my head that a re-write of the game. I swear to you on the Millennium Puzzle!

To fans of Mai, I AM SO SORRY!!! I love Mai too, but I needed a sacrificial character to be Atemu's sister, and she fit the role a lot better than Anzu. Unfortunately, though, she's not going to be the last. The storyline of Fable is not a pretty-picture fantasy land where everything is sunshine and butterflies, and neither is this story. If you really can't handle the loss of your favorite characters, I warn you now, stop reading. I honestly want people to enjoy this story, so if the potential death of a favorite character is a problem, this story is not for you. Any idiot who reads this despite the warning and then flames me for it will be ignored. Constructive criticism is welcome, however.

Please, review. No flames!! Thank you!!


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